Omar Karami
Encyclopedia
Omar Abdul Hamid Karami (last name also spelled Karamé and Karameh) (born September 7, 1934) was the Prime Minister of Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

 on two separate occasions. He was Prime Minister for the first time from December 24, 1990, when Selim al-Hoss
Selim al-Hoss
Selim Ahmed El-Hoss is a veteran Lebanese politician. He was a Prime Minister of Lebanon and a longtime Member of Parliament representing his hometown, Beirut.-Education:...

 gave up power, until May 13, 1992, when he resigned after massive protests orchestrated by Rafic Hariri, who had the largest capital in Lebanon, and had converted all his money into US dollars, causing the Lebanese currency to collapse, and the blame to fall on Karami, so he would be prime minister in Karami's place. He was sworn in again on October 21, 2004 and resigned on February 28, 2005, amid protests following the murder of the previous prime minister, Rafik Hariri
Rafik Hariri
Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...

. He is the younger brother of Rashid Karami
Rashid Karami
Rashid Abdul Hamid Karami was a Lebanese statesman. He was one of the most important political figures in Lebanon for more than 30 years, including during much of Lebanese Civil War , and he served as Prime Minister eight times.- Background :Rashid Karami was born in Tripoli, into one of...

.

Karami was born in the northern Lebanese town of An Nouri, near Tripoli
Tripoli, Lebanon
Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in Lebanon. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Geographically located on the east of the Mediterranean, the city's history dates back...

. He is the son of former Prime Minister and independence hero Abdul Hamid Karami
Abdul Hamid Karami
Abdul Hamid Karami was a Lebanese political and religious leader.Karami descended from one of the most prominent Sunni Muslim families in Lebanon. Members of his family traditionally held the position of mufti of Tripoli, Lebanon. Abdul Hamid Karami became mufti of Tripoli but was removed by the...

 and the brother of Arab nationalist eight-time Prime Minister Rashid Karami
Rashid Karami
Rashid Abdul Hamid Karami was a Lebanese statesman. He was one of the most important political figures in Lebanon for more than 30 years, including during much of Lebanese Civil War , and he served as Prime Minister eight times.- Background :Rashid Karami was born in Tripoli, into one of...

, who was assassinated in 1987. He holds a degree in law from the Lebanese University
Lebanese University
The Lebanese University is the only public institution for higher learning in Lebanon. Founded in 1951, it has 17 faculties as of 2006 and serves various cultural, religious, and social groups of students and teachers....

. Omar entered politics following his brother's assassination and was elected as Parliamentary representative of Tripoli in 1991. He is a staunch supporter of close ties with neighboring Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

.

After the murder of the previous Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri
Rafik Hariri
Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...

, in 2005, members of the opposition blamed Syria for the assassination, and demanded Syria withdraw its troops and intelligence personnel from Lebanon, something Karami's pro-Syrian government opposed. Some opposition leaders even accused Karami's government itself of involvement with the killing. Protests grew in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...

 despite an official ban on public protests, and the opposition planned to call for a no confidence vote. Amid the growing pressure, Karami announced on February 28, 2005 that his government would resign, although it remained temporarily in a caretaker
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...

 role.

Ten days after the resignation, following protests in Beirut that were supportive of Syria, President Émile Lahoud
Émile Lahoud
General Émile Jamil Lahoud is a former President of Lebanon. Lahoud is a Maronite-Catholic, as is required for the Lebanese presidency. Under Lebanon's unwritten constitutional agreement, the National Pact, the presidency is earmarked for Maronite_Catholic, the parliament speaker's post for a Shia...

 re-appointed Karami as prime minister on March 10 and asked him to form a new government. With the backing of a majority of MPs, Karami called on all parties to join a government of national unity. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4335417.stm

On April 13, after failing to create a new Government, Karami resigned again. This resignation added to the turmoil already prevalent in Lebanon since Rafik Hariri's assassination as now there was no Government to call the elections which were due that upcoming May.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4441357.stm

See also

  • History of Lebanon
    History of Lebanon
    This article deals with the history of Lebanon, and the nations previously occupying its territory.-Phoenicia:The coastal plain of Lebanon is the historic home of a string of coastal trading cities of Semitic culture, which the Greeks termed Phoenicia, whose maritime culture flourished there for...

  • Rashid Karami
    Rashid Karami
    Rashid Abdul Hamid Karami was a Lebanese statesman. He was one of the most important political figures in Lebanon for more than 30 years, including during much of Lebanese Civil War , and he served as Prime Minister eight times.- Background :Rashid Karami was born in Tripoli, into one of...

  • Abdul Hamid Karami
    Abdul Hamid Karami
    Abdul Hamid Karami was a Lebanese political and religious leader.Karami descended from one of the most prominent Sunni Muslim families in Lebanon. Members of his family traditionally held the position of mufti of Tripoli, Lebanon. Abdul Hamid Karami became mufti of Tripoli but was removed by the...

  • Cedar Revolution
    Cedar Revolution
    The Cedar Revolution or Independence Intifada was a chain of demonstrations in Lebanon triggered by the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005.The primary goals of the original activists were the...

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